Wednesday, January 16, 2013

We think it is very important to display our student's work. This is such an easy way of doing it. Everyday I choose 5-6 student's best work. I then place it on this bulletin board. They're so excited when their paper makes it to Best In The Hive. Everyday we announce who's paper made it on Best In The Hive. They love being recognized.

After we recognize the student's work they choose a bead from the jars. They put a regular bead on until they get five, then they get to put on a star bead. They love being able to put on a star bead plus it helps them learn to count by 5's :0).

We have each child's name on a heart and their strip of beads. We hook them under the white board.

We use Velcro and paper clips to attach the string of beads. This makes it easy for them to take it off and put it on again. At the end of the year. They take home their string of beads and turn it into a necklace. Some of our students get their whole string full by the end of the year. They LOVE getting beads. It's a huge incentive to do their very best on their papers. All I have to say to get best work in my classroom is: I think this paper might be the one that I display on Best In The Hive. Then they all try to do their very best on it.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

I found this and just had to share.... I do so many of these things. The # 1 answer is totally me.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU’RE A TEACHER? By Jeff Foxworthy

1.) You get a secret thrill out of laminating things. 2.) You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line. 3.) You walk into a store and hear the words, “It’s Ms./Mr. ____________ and know you have been spotted. 4.) You have 25 people who accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another. 5.) You ...can eat a multi-course meal in under 25 minutes. 6.) You’ve trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day, lunch and planning period. 7.) You start saving other people’s trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom. 8.) You want to slap the next person who says, “Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off”. 9.) You believe chocolate is a food group. 10.) You can tell if it’s a full moon without ever looking outside. 11.) You believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says, “Boy, the kids are sure mellow today.” 12.) You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public. 13.) You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin. 14.) You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form. 15.) You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children. 16.) You can’t pass the school supply aisle without getting at least 5 items! 17.) You ask your friends to use their words and explain if the left hand turn he made was a “good choice” or “bad choice.” 18.) You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils. 19.) You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer. 20.) You understand, instantaneously, why a child behaves in a certain way after meeting his/her parents.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! I can't say enough good things about it. We call it the green mean machine because it makes every pencil SHARP!! It's my all time favorite pencil sharpener. I have used electric pencil sharpeners in the past and by now the pencils are dull. Plus they're LOUD!! This pencil sharpener is quiet and I have never had a pencil sharpener sharpen pencils this well. In fact the kids want their pencils to look like this all the time.

I received by pencil sharpener back in August and my pencils still look this good. We use the pencil sharpener everyday. It still sharpens the pencils this well. It's worth your money. I know when this one runs out I will for sure be purchasing a new one again. I can't say enough good things about this sharpener. The sharpener comes in red, blue, and green. It is 24.99 no shipping! Seriously I have spent more on my 3 electric sharpeners in one year. Go check out these sharpeners! Plus they would make an excellent gift for a colleague or your child's teacher. I would love to receive one as a gift.